BUCKSPORT – Bennett R. Dunbar, 77, died Nov. 26, 2005, at a Bangor hospital. He was born Jan. 16, 1928, in Castine, the son of Duncan and Hattie L. (Snowman) Dunbar. A Castine native, he graduated valedictorian of the Class of 1946, from Castine High School. From 1946-1956 he worked in the engineering department at Maine Maritime Academy. He enlisted in the Maine State Police in 1956 and upon graduation from the Maine State Police Academy he was assigned to the truck weight scales at Kittery. He was assigned as a bodyguard for Gov. Edmund Muskie for a year and lived at the Blaine House due to the Governor receiving a death threat. In 1958, he patrolled the Clinton area of Troop C, in late 1958, he began patrolling the Bucksport area. He was promoted to sergeant in 1965, as field supervisor to Troop C, responsible for Newport to Lewiston. In 1966, he transferred to Troop E, as field supervisor for Bar Harbor-Dexter area. In 1974, he was promoted to lieutenant of Troop E, retiring from the Maine State Police in 1977. He was commended for 20 years of excellent service to the people of Maine. Following his retirement from the Maine State Police, he was employed at St. Regis Paper Co., Bucksport as a wood scaler, retiring from International Paper Co., Bucksport in 1995. He held the position of selectman for Bucksport Town Council for six years, was an active Mason and Shriner and enjoyed time spent at his camp on Toddy Pond fishing and boating. Bennett is survived by his wife of 58 years, Pauline (Hooper) Dunbar of Bucksport; daughters, Claudia Marshall and husband, Augustus, of Belfast, Pamela Peterman and husband, Neville, of Roy, Utah; sister, Dorothy “Jean” Smith of Bucksport; grandchildren, Michael Bennett Marshall of Belfast, Eve Michelle Lambert of Cambridge, Mass., Lindsay Kathleen Lambert of Wellington, New Zealand; grand dogs, Jasmine Abigail Folger, Chloe, Ella and Maggie; foster cat, Mason. He was predeceased by brother, George Dunbar; grand dogs, Lucy and Brandy. A memorial service will be held 2 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1, at the Mitchell-Tweedie Funeral Home, 28 Elm St., Bucksport with the Rev. Robert Carlson, chaplain of the Penobscot Sheriffs Office, officiating. Interment will follow in Castine Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Bangor Humane Society, 693B Mount Hope Ave., Bangor, ME 04401 or the Shrine Children’s Hospital, care of Anah Temple Shrine, P.O. Box 735, Bangor, ME 04401.
BENNETT R. DUNBAR
